Rail-joint.



R. S. BOHANNAN. v

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED on. 8. 1915.

Patented une 13, 1916.

Tm: cnumnm PLANOGRAPH (10-. WASHINGTON. D. c.

ROBERT S. BOHANNAN, OIE

RAIL-J BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

OINT.

Application filed October 8,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT S. BOHANNAN, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and Stateof Alabama, have in. vented certain new and useful Improvements inRail-Joints, of which the follow ing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rail joints adapted to preventthe pounding caused by the wheels in passing from the approach railsonto the rails on track scales, draw bridges, turn tables and the like.

More particularly my invention relates to what I term easer joints andhas for its particular object to improve and perfect the type of easerjoint which forms the subject matter of Letters Patents Nos. 988,542,

, and 1,077,253, and which operates to gradually transfer the weight ofthe cars from the approach to the scale or bridge rails and vice versa,thus avoiding shocks, pounding and possible derailment at the joint.

According to my present invention the easer bar provides a continuoustread at the joint and is designed to be supported at its ends only uponbearings which are made adjustable so as to raise or lower the easertread bar to give it the desired adjustment in height for differentsized rails. The easer bar itself is preferably designed with roundedbosses at its ends and its bearings are formed by one or more bracketswhich i are suitably connected to the rail ends or to their supports soas to be held rigidly in position.

A further novel feature of my invention relates to the design of thebrackets which serve as the adjustable supports for the easer bars.These brackets are shaped to fit into the web of the rail and areprovided at their ends toward the-bar with side guards between which andthe rail is formed a pocket for the reception of the easer bar whichrests on a smooth tapered supporting surface forming the bottom of" eachpocket. Moreover, these brackets are shaped to overlie with a flush fitthe-base of the rail and may have lateral extensions by means of whichthey can be securely bolted to the rail plate or ties. To counteractmore positively the tendency of these adjustable brackets to creep underthe driving action of the wheels transmitted through the easer bar tothe tapered bracket support therefor, the

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 1916.

1915. Serial No. 54,787.

outer face of the bracket through which elongated bolt holes pass foradjustably tying it to the rail web, is vertically corrugated andsimilarly corrugated washers are provided for the bolts. By this meansthe brackets are positively locked to the rail webs and may also besecurely tied to the rail plates or track supports.

My invention further comprises the novel details of construction andarrangements of parts which in their preferred embodiment only areillustrated and hereinafter described, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of a railjoint provided in accordance with my invention, with a continuous treadeaser bar. Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view from theinside of the brackets showing the manner in which the easer bar ishoused and supported thereby. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross sectional viewon the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on theline 5-5 of Fig. 2 showing the corrugated portion of the bracket and thecorrugated washer before it is clamped tight against the bracket.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout thedrawings. 8

According to my invention, as illustrated in the drawings, 1 and 2represent the meeting ends of the approach and scale rails, butobviously 2 may represent a rail movable with a bridge, turn table, drawbridge or mine tipple. The sides of the rail treads are cut awayvertically almost tothe web of the rail to provide a seat for thereception of the easer tread bar 3, which bar has the extreme ends ofits top or tread edge beveled at a and gradually raised from the beveledportion to an apex at or near the center of the bar opposite the jointbetween the rail ends. The bar is adapted to gradually take on theweight of a wheel rolling over it and to support the weight after thefashion of an arch upon the two rounded bosses 5 and 6 at the ends ofits bottom edge. A. bolt hole 7 is provided above the boss 6 anddisposed concentric with the center from which the roundedbearing faceof the boss is struck. The rail 1 is provided with a bolt hole 8 adaptedto receive a bolt. 9 by means of which the easer bar is pivotallyconnected at one end to the approach rail 1. At its outer end this boltis passed through a slot 10 formed in a vertical web I tween the treadand base of a rail and to i tion of bolts 16 which pass therethrough andabut, against the web thereof. The web is provided with two bolt holesfor the recepthrough'the elongated holes 15 and receive on then" outerends nuts 27 and washers 17, which latter have their inner facesvertlcally corrugated and adapted to interlock with corrugations 18 onthe outer'face of the shank. By this means the bracket.

is held rigidly interlocked and prevented from creeping or slipping onits'rail connection. The inner end of the bracket is provided 'with abottom face 19, which slopes to the side of the rail in conformity withthe slope of the rail base so that it will fit snugly and bear fullyupon the rail base. Along itsout'er side edge, the bracket may carry alaterally extending flange 20 which rests upon the rail support 21 ortie and is secured thereto by bolts 22. The rail on the other side ismadefast to its support by a clamp plate 23, a bolt21 and a lug 25, or

, it may bemade fast in any other desired manner.

The side web 11 is braced to the flange 20 by end inclined webs 26 andis pro vided with clean out slots 28. The taper bearing face 13 is flatso as to afford a firm nd Wide bearing for the bosses 5 and 6 of theeaser bar.

A bracket similar to that already described is usually provided for eachend of the easer bar, but partially satisfactory results may be obtainedfrom a P single bracket for the free end of the tread bar which is notgenerally bolted to the scale or bridge rail 2.

In operation, the brackets are first attached to the rails and the easerbar bolted to the approach rail. The bracket to which the bar ispivotally connected is then ad justed forward until its taper face 13takes the full support ofthat end of the easer bar, whereupon the nuts27 are tightened I and the corrugated washers 17 firmly clamped againstthe bracket to lock it in position. The bracket at the other end is thenadjusted toward the easer rail until its taper face 13 brings the treadof the bar to the desired level, whereupon it is clamped into positionand the apparatus is ready for service. In the case of turn tables orswing ing draw bridges, suflicient clearance should,

be left at the pivoted end ofthe easer bar to permit its free end to beswung high enough to clear the rail 2, and for other uses itis onlynecessary for sufficient play to be left for the free end of the bar tofol I low down with the bracket on the movable tread bar to the desiredoperating position, .but the most important function of the tread baradjustment however is to adapt one size of easer bar for use with railsof varying section, so that only a few sizes of easer bars are requiredto be stocked to fit any standard size of rails.

VVhatI claim as new and desire'to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with the meeting ends of rails, one of which ismovable relatively to the other, of an easer tread bar interfitted withsaid meeting rail ends to form a continuous joint, and movable bearingmeans for vertically adjusting said tread bar. i

2. The combination with the meeting ends of rails, of an easer tread barinterfitted with said meeting rail ends to form a continuous joint, andmovable bearing seatsfor adjustably supporting said tread bar.

8. The'combination with the meeting ends of rails, one of which ismovable and both of which have treads vertically cut away on theircorresponding sides to receive a continuous joint tread bar, of acontinuous tread bar, and means vertically adjustably mounting said barin the cut away portions of said rail ends, substantially as described.4. The combination with the meeting ends of track rails, one of which ismovable relatively to the other and both of which are notched to receivea continuous tread plate seated in the notched ends of said rails andpivotally connected to the fixed rail, and means to adjustably supportthe free end of the tread in operative position alongside the movablerail end, substantially as described. 5. The combination with themeeting ends of rails, of a continuous tr'ead bar for'the joint of saidrails, brackets connected to the rail ends and adjustable longitudinallythereof, saidbrackets having taperbear ing seats upon which the ends ofthe tread bar rest, means to connect the bar to one of said rail ends,and side retaining means to hold the bar in position relatively to therails. i v 6. In a rail joint, the combination with the meeting ends ofrails. which have'their treads notched to receive a continuous treadbar, ofa tread bar disposed in the notched portions of said rail endsand pivotally connected to one of them, brackets also attached to therail ends and forming bearing seats for the tread bar, said seats havingsmooth taper surfaces upon which said tread bar rests, and means toadjust the brackets relatively toward and from each other to regulatethe height of the tread bar, substantially as described.

7. In a rail joint, an easer oint tread bar adapted for pivotalconnection at one end thereof to one of the joint rails, and a bracketadapted for adjustable connection to the other of the joint rails andhaving a taper bearing surface for supporting the free end of the treadbar.

8. The combination with the meeting ends of rails, of a continuous treadbar pivotally connected to one rail end, and a bracket adj ustablyconnected to the other rail end and adapted to form a seat and supportfor the free end of the tread bar, said bracket having a smooth taperbearing face for the tread bar and having a sloping base adapted toconform to and rest upon the rail base, substantially as described.

9. A bracket support for an easer joint tread bar comprising a bearingend having a taper bearing seat for the bar, anouter side holding meansfor the bar, a base shaped to conform to the rail base on which itrests, and a body portion shaped to fit'between the rail head and baseand having horizontally elongated slots for rail bolts, substantially asdescribed.

10. A bracket bearing for an easer joint tread bar comprising a bearingend having an upper taper bearing face, a vertical web on the outer edgeof said face, there being a longitudinal slot in said Web spaced aboveand parallel with the taper bearing face thereof, and means to attachthe bracket in position alongside a rail.

11. A bracket bearing for an easer joint tread bar comprising a bodyportion adapted to interfit between the head and base of a rail andhaving one end cut away and tapered to form a taper end bearing, avertical web extending along theouter edge of said bearing, there beinga longitudinal slot in said web parallel with said taper bearing, theunderface of the bracket below said taper bearing being shaped toconform to the rail tread upon which it rests and having lateralextensions adapted to rest on the rail support and to be attachedthereto, and means to adjustably connect the bracket to a rail,substantially as described.

12. A bracket for easer joint tread bars, comprising a shank portionadapted to fit against the rail web between the base and tread thereofand having its outer face transversely corrugated, means for attachingthe shank to the rail web which have corrugated faces that interlockwith the corrugations of the shank, and a taper bearing seat on thebracket for supporting a continuous tread bar for a rail joint.

13. In a rail joint, the combination with the meeting ends of railswhich have their treads notched, of a continuous tread bar disposed inthe notched portions of said rail ends, means to pivotally connect oneend of the tread bar to one rail, means to adjustably support the freeend of said bar comprising a bracket, said bracket having a smooth tapertread bearing and a shank, the underface of the tread bearing and shankbeing shaped to conform to the rail base, there being elongated boltholes in the shank to provide for its adjustable attachment to a railend, an outside web extending along the outer edge of the taper bearing,and a laterally extending flange opposite said bearing and adapted torest upon the rail support and to be fastened thereto, substantially asdescribed.

1a. The combination with the meeting ends of rails, one of which ismovable relatively to the other, of a tread bar pivotally connected toone rail end,there being notches in said rail ends to receive saidtread, a seat to receive and hold the other end of the tread bar inposition alongside the other rail end, an adjustable bearing support forthe pivoted end of the tread bar comprising a taper bearing, and arounded bearing boss on said tread bar, substantially as described.

15. A tread bar for rail joints having rounded supporting bosses at theends of its bottom edge and having its top or tread edge beveled at eachend and gradually rising to an intermediate apex opposite the railjoint.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ROBERT S. BOHANNAN.

Witness:

NOMIE WELSH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. G.

